Adjustable garment hanger



Aug. 4, 1931. R ||N3DEN4 1,817,369

ADJUSTABLE GARMENT HANGER Original Filed Aug. 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet: l

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Aug. 4, 1931. I R. HADDEN ADJUSTABLE. GARMENT HANGER originan F1194 1m. 14 1929 2 sheets-snm 2 "In u y INVENTOR.'

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ATTORNEYS. I

Patented Aug. 4, 1931 ROBERT HADDEN, OF ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY .ADJUSTABLE GARMENT HANGER Applicationl filled August 14, 1929, Serial No. 385,757. Renewed June 25, 1931.

My invention relates to a new and useful adjustable garment hanger having adjustable shouldersupporting members, whereby garments, such as a coat or the like, of dliferent sizes or chest measures, may be supported in a Wrinkle-proof manner, regardless ofthe size of such garment as compared with the size of a standard garment hanger supporting said garment.

My invention further relates tonoveladjustable shoulder supports for conventional garment hangers of the type generally used for supporting clothes in closets, cleaning and dyeing establishments and the like, which are generally made of wood or similar material, and which comprise opposltely disposed, upwardly converging arms, with or without a horizontal cross bar connecting the lower ends of said arms, the latter being made of substantially the same crosssectional thickness through their entire length, so that only a relatively thin support is provided for the enlarged shoulder portions'of a coat supported by such hanger. Furthermore, hangers of this character are, in the interests of economy, usually made of a single standard size or at best of a very limited range of sizes, so that it is often impossible, in a moment of need, to obtain a hanger the size of which corresponds to the size of the coat or other garment to be supported. This resulted in the shoulder portions of the coat overhanging and extending beyond the ends of the supporting arms' of the hanger, or vice versa, thereby wrinkling and creasing the collar and shoulder portions of the coat. f

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide novel adjustable shoulder sup- 40 ports for the arms of conventional wooden garment hangers, whereby adequate support for the enlarged portions of a coat is afforded and whereby'said hanger is rendered adjustable to any size coat or garment to be supported thereby.

To the above ends, my invention consists of a pair of sliding members adapted to engage and slide. upon r4the arms of a hanger and to be frictionally and yieldably engaged and retained in any desired position upon said armssaid sliding members having outer or lower enlarged, convex portions for supporting the enlarged shoulder portions of a coat in a wrinkle-proof manner, and having means for frictionally and yieldably engaging the arms. of said hanger to render the latter adjustable to the exact size or measure of said coat, and to vprevent the accidentalY removal of said sliding members from said arms.

My invention further relates to various other novel features of construction and advantage all as hereinafter described and claimed.

'For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactoryand reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement ,and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings: j

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a gar- 'ment hanger equipped with adjustable shoulder supports embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents 'on anfenlarged scale, a longitudinal sectional view of one of my novel adjustable shoulder supports, shown detached. l

Fig. 3 represents, on an enlarged scale, a fragmentary bottom plan view of a garment hanger equipped with my novel adjustable shoulder support.

Fig.` 4: represents a sectional view on line 4.-4 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 to 8 represent modilied forms of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, l des- 1 ignates a conventional garment hanger usually of wood and comprising the oppositely disposed arms 2 and 3, which converge upward- 95 ly and merge to form the central collar supporting portion 4, it being understood that the arms 2 and 3 and the central portion 4 may be all made integral and unitaryor may be made in sections at will. A cross bar 5 con- 100 scribed is not adjustable and can properly.

accommodate but one size of coat or other garment. Furthermore, this conventional hanger, usually of wood, with its relatively thin arms 2 and 3, afforded very inadequate support for the enlarged shoulder portions of a coat, all of which resulted in wrinkling and creasing said coat and generally dest roying its neat and tidy appearace.

To overcome these disadvantages, I have provided the adjustable supports 7 which comprise the outer or lower enlarged convex portions 8, which afford adequate support for the enlarged shoulder portions of a coat, and with the inwardly tapering portions 9 which enclose and frictionally engage the arms 2 and 3, as will be understood from Fig. 1. The adjustable supports 7 are provided with the bottom inturned spiral l'ugs 10 which are adapted resiliently and frictionally to engage the sides of the arms 2 and 3 of the hanger 1, when the parts are in the positions seen in the right hand portion of Fig. 1. The narrow tapered portions 9 of the adjustable supports 7 are cut open at 11, and are provided with the inwardly and downwardly deflected short arms 12 which have inward- 1y projecting lugs 13 which are adapted to engage the underside of the arms 2 and 3, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 3.

Referring now to the lefthand portions of Fig. 1, it will be seen that to apply or install my novel adjustable supports 7 upon the arms 2 and 3 of the hanger 1, it is first necessary to insert the outer ends 14 of the arms 2 and 3 through the opening or cut 11 in the inner ends of the tapering portions 9 of the supports 7, and to slide the latter upwardly towards the central collar supporting portion 4 to the desired point. The outer or lower convex portions 8 are then pressed down against the arms 2 and 3, until the latter are forced or wedged between the resilient spiral lugs 10, which frictionally engage the s1des of said arms to retain the supports 7 in any desired position or at any desired distance from the ends 14 of the arms 2 and 3, thereby regulating or adjusting the size of the hanger 1 to the size of the coat or garment supported thereby. To prevent the accidental removal of the adjustable supports 7 from the arms 2 and 3, I provide the short arms 12, having the bottom juxtaposed inwardly projecting lugs 13 whose top walls 15 engage the underside of the arms 2 and 3 (see Figs. 1 and 3). To remove my novel adjustable supports it is merely necessary to raise the convex enlarged portions 8 to disengage the lugs 10 from the arms 2 and 3, whereupon the entire supports 7 are withdrawn outwardly until the lips 12, and lugs 13, at the inner ends of the portions y9 clear the outer edges 14 of the arms 2 and 3. The mere adjustment of the hanger by the sliding of the adjustable supports 7 can be effected while the parts are in the position shown in the right hand side of Fig. 1, that is, without the necessity of disengaging the lugs 10 from the sides of the arms 2 and 3, the' resilient and frictional engagement of the lugs 10 with said arms serving to retain the supports 7 in any desired position or at any desired distance from the ends 14 of the arms 2 and 3.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel attachment for a. garment hanger which latter can be manufactured in one standard size, but wherein, nevertheless, the adjustable terminal shoulder supports will be capable of adjustment longitudinally to accommodate the exact size of the garment or lcoat. supported thereby. It will further be seen that by my novel construction the conveX portions 8 of the supports 7 aliord adequate support for the enlarged shoulder portions of a coat, thereby preventing thD wrinkling and creasing of the coat supported or carried by said hanger and preserving its neat and tidy appearance.

lVhile I have illustrated the application of my novel adjustable supports to a hanger, usually made of wood, of the particular type shown in Fig. 1, it is to be understood that my novel adjustable supports 7 are equally applicable or adaptable for use on any kind of hanger of this general character and that my novel supports may be made of glass, metal, or any other desired material, or .of any desired color. It is further to be understood that the lugs 10, 12, and 13 are merely shown as being one preferred form of my invention, and the same may be altered in-fshape, size, and location and that their ymechanical equivalent may at any time be substituted therefor, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, since my invention, broadly, resides in the provision of lthe slidable members 7, adapted to slide along the arms 2 and 3, and to be retained iny any desired position, said slidable supports also having the generally convexed portions 8 or their equivalent toafford adequate support for the shoulder portions of a coat or other garment.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive I have shown another form of my invention which may be preferably employed, as it is somewhat cheaper to manufacture, wherein I employ a sliding shoulder support 17 having an enlarged coat l shoulder supporting portion 18, which is of a generally convex shape, and the inner reduced substantially inverted U-shaped portion 19 which terminates in the inner short arms 2O which are formed by cutting away the inner end of the reduced portionA 19 on an angle as at 21, (see Fig. 8). lIhe arms 20 are provided with the inwardly deflected terminal lugs or tongues 22, the upper edges or Walls 23 ofl which' areadapted to engage the underside of the arm 3 of the hanger, in the same manner as the lugs 13 heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4. In lieu of the spiral, convoluted lugs or tongues 10, I employ the domes or buttons 24, which are preferably pressed inwardly from the side walls of the sliding member 17, preferably at substantially the points shown in the drawings, said domes or buttons 24 being adapted frictionally and resiliently to engage the lower corners or sides of the hanger arm 3 to retain the sliding member 17 in any desired position with respect to said arm, and to permit, at the same' time, the longitudinal adjustment of said sliding member with respect to said arm at will.

It is to be understood that the number o domes or buttons 24, as Well as their location, may be varied without departing from the scope of my invention, two such buttons 24 being sulicient for most purposes. Similarly, the substitution of the buttons 24 for-the spiral lugs 10 is not a departure from the spirit of my invention since the object of my invention 1s to provide frictional resilient means for retaining the sliding members 7 or 17 in any desired position with reference to the arms 3 of the hanger 1,\which will also permit the quick and easy adjustment of the position of said sliding members with respect to said arms to render the hanger 1 adjustable for different sited coats or garments and to provide the enlarged coat shoulder p0rtions with adequate support. By utilizing the principle of frictional resiliency, I am enabled to reduce the cost of manufacture to a basic minimum, since it is merely necessary to deflect the body of the sliding member 7 or 17, or a part of it, out of true alignment with the shape and contour of the arm-3 of the hanger 1 to produce the requisite frictional resilient engagement for retaining said sliding member in any desired position with respect to said arm. For more positive means I employ the lugs 10 or buttons 24 or their equivalent.

While I have illustrated my novel coat shoulder supports 7 and 17 as being made from sheet metal, it is to beunderstood that the same may be made from any other material such as tin, steel, glass, Celluloid, paper, fiber, rubber, etc.

The detachable character of my novel coat shoulder support renders it applicable to conventional hangers wherever found, since it is merely necessary to apply my novel shoulder supports to such hanger to achieve theiA ad- .vantages hereinabove set forth. My novel hangers occupy a minimum space in an overnight bag or trunkand they are of minimum weight. The bulged convex portion of my novel adjustable support not only supports the enlarged shoulder portion of a coat in a wrinkle-proof manner butalso serves to prevent a coat or a dress from slipping and falling off the hanger as often happens. My novel adj ustablc supports are further of value in supporting wet garments, which have been washed or dry cleaned, in a well stretched-out condition to prevent the formation of wrinkles while such garment is drying. It is also obvious that the adjustable supports of my invention can be moved to adjust the hanger to the exact size of the coat draped thereon without the necessity of rst removing said coat from said hanger.

Having thus described my invention, what I 'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a garment hanger having a supporting member, coat shoulder supports therefor, each comprising an outer enlarged convex portion forming a support for the enlarged shoulder portion of a coat supported by said hanger and merging into an inner reduced portion adapted to enclose and engage one end of said supporting member, terminal inclinedarms at the inner ends of said reduced portions having juxtaposed, inwardly projecting lugs adapted to engage the sides and bottoms of said supporting member to prevent accidental disengagement of said coat shoulder supports, and oppositely located bottom spiral lugs carried by said coat shoulder supports and `frictionally and resiliently engaging the sides of said' supporting arms, to retain said coat shoulder supports in any desired position relative to said supporting member.

2. The combination of a garment hanger having a supporting member, coat shoulder supports therefor, each comprising an outer enlarged convex portion forming a support for the enlarged 'shoulder portion of a coat supported by said hanger and merging into an inner reduced portion adapted toenclose and engage one end of said supporting member, terminal inclined arms at the inner ends of said reduced portions having juxtaposed, inwardly projecting lugs adapted to engage the sides and bottoms of said supporting member to prevent accidental disengagement of said coat shoulder supports, and oppositely located bottom, inclined, convoluted, resilient spiral lugs integral with the lower edges of said supports, and frictionally and resiliently engaging the sides of said supporting member, to retain said coat shoulder supports in any desired position relative to said' supporting member.

3. The combination of a garment hanger `having a supporting member, coat shouldei` supports therefor slidably mounted and n1"- terlockedon the ends of said member, each portion forming a support forithe enlarged shoulder portion of a coat supported by said hanger and merging into an inner reduced seat portion adapted to enclose and engage an end of said supporting member, terminal inclined arms at the inner ends of said reduced portions having juxtaposed, inwardly projecting lugs adapted to engage the sides and bottoms of said supporting member to prevent accidental disengagement of said coat shoulder supports, and inwardly projecting bottom members integral with the side Walls of said coat shoulder supports and frictionally and resiliently engaging the sides of said supporting member, to retain said coat shoulder supports in any desired adjusted position relative to said supporting member.

ROBERT HADDEN. 

